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UM student Amanda Jennings, left, works on her medical school application with PreMedical Sciences Director Mark Pershouse.
Most people value good health. When we are ill or injured, our normal way of life is disrupted. Through scientific discovery and diagnostic savvy, doctors help patients restore their health and improve their quality of life. It is a privilege — and a challenge.
If becoming a doctor is your calling, a pre-med degree is a smart choice. But, choosing the best pre-med program is paramount.
In this article, we’ll look at how to navigate pre-med programs to find the best pre-med program to achieve your individual goals. We’ll also cover what pre-med prerequisites you’ll need and what you should expect from pre-med courses.
Choosing the Best Pre-Med Degree Program
Selecting a pre-med program can be intimidating. Among the many options, you want to find the best pre-med program to meet your goals.
The best pre-med programs build a strong foundation in sciences as well as highly developed communication skills and an understanding of humanities.
While it may seem obvious to choose a science-related major for your pre-med program, don’t discount majors such as English or foreign languages. Medical schools are seeking well-rounded candidates and top pre-med programs encourage students to explore non-science disciplines.
Understanding pre-med prerequisites
As a pre-med student, you’ll need pre-med prerequisites, specifically in science. These core science classes always include biology, chemistry, physics, and biochemistry. Pre-med prerequisite courses also often include statistics, psychology, and sociology. To gain a well-rounded education, you may want to include humanities courses such as history, literature, or philosophy.
To make sure your chosen pre-med program stays on track, meet with your academic advisors every semester. Their guidance will make pre-med course selection easier and ensure a smoother path to applying to medical school.
Your pre-med major is a consideration for medical school admissions committees, but it’s not the only factor. Pre-med course selection, GPA, and MCAT scores also weigh into admission decisions.
With regard to GPA, medical schools take an average of your grades from your pre-med courses, which allows you the flexibility to balance your hard science pre-med courses with other disciplines.
What Are Your Pre-Med Course Options?
According to the Association of America Medical Colleges (AAMC), over half of medical school applicants major in the biological sciences. Focusing on biology courses makes sense, but it is advisable to explore other science courses such as physics and chemistry. Pre-med courses should also include math, statistics, social sciences, and humanities.
You might consider a non-science minor to enrich your pre-med courses. For example, a foreign language such as Spanish may prove useful in future endeavors.
How to Choose the Best Pre-Med Program
One-size-fits-all doesn’t apply when it comes to choosing a pre-med program. The factors to consider are the same for selecting a college in general: geographical location, proximity to family school size, range of degrees, and cost.
In addition, top pre-med programs should prepare you for other health and science careers should you decide that medical school is not the right option for you.
A large university or a liberal arts college?
An academic environment where you can thrive is an important decision when choosing your top pre-med programs. Large universities typically have multiple science departments which mean myriad research opportunities. Liberal arts colleges, on the other hand, may provide easier access to faculty and resources.
Pay particular attention to pre-med program advising. The best pre-med school for you will likely be one with a strong pre-med advising office.
High stakes or laid back pre-med programs?
Some pre-med programs have hundreds of students which translate to a culture of competitiveness. Others offer a more laid back, nurturing environment.
Whichever learning atmosphere you choose, challenge yourself academically. Medical schools want to see that you have applied yourself and have succeeded in difficult pre-med courses.
In addition, medical school curriculum is rigorous, so you’ll want to prepare yourself well to achieve at a high standard while earning your pre-med prerequisites.
Four Key Elements of Top Pre-Med Programs
While the best pre-med program for you is the one that meets your individual needs, there are some universal factors to consider:
- Curriculum — Is it challenging and will it satisfy pre-med prerequisites?
- Extracurricular opportunities — Does the institution offer the right volunteer and other opportunities to help you be competitive as a medical school applicant?
- Reputation — Fairly or not, medical school admission committees may have preconceptions about the competitiveness of a given institution based on experiences with previous applicants.
- Advising and mentorship — Top pre-med programs offer assistance from a qualified pre-med advisers who help you achieve your goals.
Chart Your Pre-Med Course at the University of Montana
At UM’s College of Health, we know it is crucial that you have a solid educational foundation. This is particularly true if your goal is medical school. Our experiential pre-med courses provide a comprehensive education and access to in-depth research opportunities.
You’ll learn from faculty members who understand what it takes to excel in today’s complex healthcare system. From mental health to disease ecology, our faculty has led extensive research projects and is widely published. Several members serve on the National Health Council.
Our pre-med program includes robust volunteering opportunities with community organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Mountain Home Montana, Open Aid Alliance, and Partners Hospice. We also provide job shadowing opportunities which give you vital hands-on experience and help you decide which path — MD, DO, PA, or NP — you want to pursue.
UM’s pre-med program is only one of several health science degrees. Each program has been attentively designed to prepare you to achieve your goals. Just ask UM's Class of 2021: The acceptance rate for those pre-med advising graduates was 70%. (For reference, the national average medical school acceptance rate of 41%.)
Our programs are constantly evolving to meet the needs of diverse populations and adapt to a changing healthcare landscape. For example, in response to the healthcare crisis of 2020, UM’s School of Public and Community Health developed a Bachelor of Science in Public Health.
Learn more about UM’s Pre-Med Sciences.
Explore all of our College of Health degrees.
What can you do with a pre-med degree?
Not all pre-med students go on to become doctors. The truth is that a pre-med degree can open up a wide range of career opportunities in healthcare, science, research, technology, and more. Learn more about what you can do with a pre-med degree.
